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Detail - Chronology of Stages of Israeli Ethnic Cleansing of the Palestinian People

Goto Source for this Table - section of International Law Study Guide covering Israeli ethnic cleansing.

When finally in the early 1900's, the European Zionist Organizations began working in the Palestine region to set up Jewish-only communities, activities began which could clearly be labeled "Ethnic Cleansing". Below they are listed in chronological order with the percentage of area that the native Palestinian population was "transferred" out of:

• 6% - 1916 - 1948: Area bought by Jewish National Fund (JNF). Although purchase of land is definitely not considered "Ethnic Cleansing", the JNF then instituted a policy that no one could live on the land or even be employed on the land that was not Jewish. Reflecting this, all non-Jewish tenant farmers cultivating or living on that land were subsequently evicted. In addition, the JNF imposed this policy on other Jewish communities in the area if they wanted funding from the JNF or the World Zionist Organization.
• 30% - 1929 - 1947: Area lost due to change in land registration regulations. The British Mandate Government, with the encouragement and assistance of the European Zionist Organizations, replaced the land registration system in use in the region with a European style land registration system. The result of this was that many Palestinian landowners and Palestinian communally-owned lands were lost and thus became State lands of the British Mandate Government, which stated it would then turn over to the new Jewish State when it was created, or became especially vulnerable to sale to Zionist buyers. Almost no assistance was given to the palestinian landowners to help them convert their lands over to the new registration system, and thus many of them saw this new system as a ploy to take lands from Palestinian landowers to eventually give over to the new State that the British and Zionist were planning for the area.
• 55% -1947: Area lost due to U.N. Partition Plan for Palestine. The Zionist supported a number of partition plans over the years, but especially this one, whereas the Palestinian Arabs vehemently rejected it in favor of a Single-State solution where everyone would live and rule equally and democratically. The Palestinians rejected this plan so strongly because it gave to 16% of the area's population, who only owned about 6% of the land at the time, an increase to more than half of the area - 55% - which was their native lands where they had lived for over 2000 years.
• 70% - 1948: Area lost in 1948 war. The Palestinian people rebelled against the U.N. Partition Plan, with the help of surrounding Arab nations. But the Zionist forces won, and in the process, they took over an additional 15% of land which they then kept - land gained by military force - which is illegal according to international law. But before the Arab armies even struck, the Zionist forces emptied and destroyed over 300 Arab villages, and by the end of the fighting over 400 Arab villages had been emptied and destroyed. Many of these people left voluntarily, and some were ordered out by their own leaders, but most were chased out or scared away by the Zionist forces, but all had the idea that they would be able to return to their homes after the fighting, who ever was in control. But the new State of Israel quickly passed laws forbidding Palestinians from returning to their villages, and then set up a government agency to manage and redistribute their property to Jewish immigrants moving into those areas (Custodian of Absentees' Property). Later, a small number of Palestinian refugees were compensated for their losses, and some were even allowed to return.
• (95% within Israel) - 1948-present: Land lost within Israel. The new State of Israel quickly adopted laws that forbade non-Jews from leasing homes or property on State lands, called "Israel Lands". This also passed a range of laws that enabled them to take lands from private landowners for different reasons. Thus Palestinians found themselves confined to smaller and smaller areas of land. At this time, they are confined to less than 5% of the lands of Israel, and then these areas are discriminated against in many ways. Most notorious of these land laws was the Planning and Building Law of 1980, which facilitated the zoning out of existence over 40 ancient Arab villages, which were then denied basic services such as electricity and sewer maintenance. Only following United Nations intervention were some services restored.
• 85% - 1967-present: Land lost in occupation of adjacent Palestinian Territories. The Palestinians rebelled again in 1967 with the help of neighboring Arab nations, but they also lost again. This time the Israeli forces occupied land all the way to the Jordan River. But they returned much of this land to neighboring Arab nations (Suez Peninsula in 1968) or to the Palestinians themselves (Gaza in 2005). But parts they also annexed into Israel proper in violation of international law. In the other parts (West Bank) they have broken numerous international laws, and installed an oppressive and exploitive Apartheid government. But they have also taken over unofficially almost 70% of this area either kicking out the Palestinian residents completely, or sharply restricting their access. Much of this area is occupied by illegal Israeli civilian settlements linked legally to Israel proper. And now with the doubling in size of the Maale Abunim settlement east of Jerusalem, the West Bank has been virtually cut in half for the use of the Palestinian residents. The economy in the West Bank Palestinian communities has been strangled, malnutrition is spreading, and Israeli settlers are allowed to abuse the Palestinians virtually without police restraint. This abuse of the Palestinian residents is considered to be itself a form of Ethnic Cleansing because many believe it is part of an effort to chase out the Palestinian people who still remain in these areas. Some of the methods used are so brutal that they may even qualify as Genocidal because they are practically destroying Palestinian society in these areas (see section on crime of Genocide).
• Violating Family Unity - 2003-present: Knesset passes a the Nationality and Entry into Israel (Temporary Order) Law (2003) which forbids residents of the occupied territories who are married to Israeli citizens from joining their families in Israel (with a few temporary exceptions). The public rationale is security concerns, but the long term rationale is to help maintain the Jewish demographic majority.

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Goto Source for this Table - section of International Law Study Guide covering Israeli ethnic cleansing.

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(c) Israel Law Resource Center, February, 2007.